


Office Gossip

by Nyctolovian



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Acephobia, Asexual Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Author Projecting onto Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Gen, Gender Non-Conforming Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Gossip, Hurt Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist, Hurt/Comfort, Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Alice "Daisy" Tonner Are Best Friends, Non-Binary Jonathan Sims, Queer Character, Queer Themes, Transphobia, non-binary phobia?, vent fic tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:41:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27712892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyctolovian/pseuds/Nyctolovian
Summary: Daisy overhears some office gossip and steps in.
Relationships: Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist & Alice "Daisy" Tonner
Comments: 10
Kudos: 185





	Office Gossip

**Author's Note:**

> Warning again: ace-phobia and non-binary-phobia
> 
> Even while writing it I felt awful. This is stuff I've heard before (or at least stuff I've heard twisted to make sense in context) so yeah, it's not gonna sound nice. I'm projecting so much onto jon tbh and it doesn't help that im ace and non-binary (sorta? idk my gender yet but somewhere there). But Daisy doesn't let all that bigotry stand!!
> 
> Enjoy (?)

"I swear, archives can do whatever they want and get away with it," Jennifer from Finance grumbled. 

Bill hummed in assent as he placed a cigarette between his teeth. There was the click of a lighter and then a loud exhale. Daisy was surprised they hadn't lit a cigarette yet. An awful stench drifted in as soon as they set foot onto the roof. "They have a cot in their department. Pretty sure that's not actually allowed."

Daisy bit her lower lip. She's fairly certain that if the other two knew she was up here with them, they'd scamper off with their tails between their legs. But she couldn't be bothered to deal with them. She went up here to keep the claustrophobic thoughts out of her head, not confront a couple of cowardly busybodies on their cigarette break. So she just sat behind the water tank, leaned her head back and tried to ignore the two.

They were growing increasingly loud however. And annoying.

"And, god, that Melanie King carries a knife everywhere she goes. If you ask me, they should have arrested her along with Elias," Jennifer continued. 

Daisy clenched her jaw. _Stay calm,_ she told herself.

"Oh, and there's that woman—Daisy, they call her. I'm 70% certain she's not an employee here."

"Yeah, what's up with that?" 

She sighed inwardly. For god's sake, just shut up.

"Basira let her in apparently?" Bill said. "Not sure why. Other than that though, Basira's the most normal out of the bunch. That's not a high bar but, eh."

"Okay, right. Basira's fairly decent. But you know who's the worst? Jonathan Sims."

"Jesus christ, he's a nutjob, that one."

"And a knob, from what I hear from research. The most unsociable snob who didn't care much for other people. After that he got promoted to head archivist. I'm 90% ceratin all that got to his head," Jennifer said. Suddenly, her voice grew hushed, "Oh, and I hear he's actually impotent or something."

Daisy's eyes widened. What the— This was far too personal.

"Holy shit. You're joking."

"Oh, it's real. I overheard Melanie and Basira chatting about it. Jon's ex-girlfriend said so apparently. Something about how he just doesn't," she said with a huff of incredulity. "More like 'can't' if you ask me. What man wouldn't want to?"

"Hey, maybe he ain't a man in the first place," Bill laughed. "Do you see all the skirts he's been wearing lately? Fucking disgusting. What man would wear a skirt?"

Daisy was looming over them, seething with rage, before she knew it. "And what business is that to you two?" she growled.

The two of them paled instantly (cowards, both of them). They stammered out something unintelligible—something about work and documents and excel sheets—before they darted off. 

Groaning, she walked back down towards the basement and softly massaged between her eyes. How did she end up worse for wear after coming to the roof to calm down? 

When she reached there, she saw Jon, looking a little worse for wear with the rims of eyes slightly a little red. He stood directly in front of the entrance of the archives, as though waiting for her. He fidgeted at the sight of her and then took a deep breath and said, "Thank you, Daisy."

Daisy was confused for a moment. Her heart sank. "You saw all that?"

"I— Yes, I did. By accident. The eye… forced it upon me." He waved his hand dismissively. "Unimportant. I just want to say I appreciate you… standing up for me."

"They have no right to say those things about you."

"They weren't entirely untrue," Jon muttered. "Not the impotent bit. But I am asexual. Meaning, I don't… feel sexual attraction. And I'm not exactly a man either." He fiddled with the pleats of his green skirt. "Somewhere in between, I suppose. Either that or nowhere in between." He laughed awkwardly. 

"They still have no right to say all of that," she insisted. "They know nothing about you. They were just being bigots. Hell, I'd say it was rude of Basira and Melanie to be talking about your private life behind your back in the first place too."

Jon closed his eyes. "I… Thank you, nonetheless."

"I only acted because I couldn't stand the thought of them speaking about you like that. I had to say something."

"Honestly, you don’t have to put yourself through such unpleasantness for my sake. These things simply happen once in a while. I'll be fine."

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t "fine", she knew. The air about Jon was tense, slightly shaky. Even the way he was twisting his black ring screamed distress. 

He squirmed under Daisy’s scrutiny. “It’s really alright.” He pursed his lips into a tight line of resignation. 

"I'm used to it."

"You know how that’s worse, right? The fact you’ve gotten used to it. I think the world should be a bit kinder to you. And if that means telling off jerks like that, I'd do it again. No hesitation."

Jon blinked in shock, and it infuriated Daisy to see him look like that. Like he didn’t know what to do with himself. Like no one had ever stood up for him. The watchdog in Daisy wished she could pull him to her side to keep him safe and shove a middle finger at the world for… honestly, everything. 

“If you hear anyone talking shit about you again, tell me. You shouldn’t have to deal with all that crap.”

“I…” Jon sighed, some tension in his shoulders relaxing. “Thank you, Daisy. But I, uh, rather not have you starting fights for me. These things, rumours and gossip, they’re never-ending to begin with.” He smiled, genuinely. “It’s sufficient knowing you’ll be here for me. Knowing I have a friend in you.”

Friend, huh. Something welled up in Daisy’s chest and she ruffled Jon’s already messy hair to force it back down. 

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written for [this other fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27605662/chapters/67535047) also with daisy and jon being pals. But it felt tonally different from the other parts so I took it out. Probably became tonally different because this was written after hearing some fairly ummmm unpleasant things. So it was emotionally charged. 
> 
> I honestly don't rly like the way I wrote this very much? But it's something I needed to get out. This section was probably borne out of my desire for someone to help me shut other people up. 
> 
> Come yell at me [on tumblr](https://nyctolovian.tumblr.com) or just come to chill. Kudos and comments greatly appreciated!!


End file.
